A distinguished black sociologist argues that extremists who deny the recent gains of blacks in America make further gains all the harder.

Dr. Harry Edwards, an outspoken black sociologist on sports, will be named as a special assistant to Peter Ueberroth, the baseball commissioner.

Harry Edwards is a black sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley.

The young black sociologist was drawn to the area for personal reasons of an ordinary kind: the attractive houses, central location and rising property values.

"It is part of our culture," said Robert B. Hill, a black sociologist at Morgan State University in Baltimore, who has written extensively on the practice.

Against this background she discusses the emergence of alternative theorization of research initiated by black sociologists, academics and professionals in the USA.

But others, like Harry Edwards, the black sociologist, said, "I think it's excellent."

"They both occupy an incongruent status in society," said Prof. Charles Willie, a black sociologist at Harvard University, who is himself married to a white woman.

For instance, he explains, "In traditional sociology, there's no mention of any black sociologists, not even William J. Wilson.

She notes that where a previous generation of scholars saw weakness in black families, the new generation of black sociologists sees resourcefulness and resilience.